High temperature all solid state supercapacitor based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes and poly[2,5 benzimidazole

Abstract

Supercapacitor containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as the electrode material and phosphoric acid-doped poly[2,5 benzimidazole] (ABPBI) as the solid electrolyte and separator membrane has been investigated in a wide temperature range. Supercapacitors with different solid electrolyte concentrations have been fabricated and evaluated for their electrochemical performance. Specific capacitance of supercapacitors at room temperature was found to increase after the first heating cycle. Supercapacitor containing 10 wt.% of solid electrolyte in the electrode shows higher specific capacitance than the supercapacitor with liquid electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry analysis of supercapacitors indicates high rate capability. The linear increase in the specific capacitance with temperature implies that capacitance is predominantly due to electric double layer. Electrochemical impedance analysis indicates that the mass capacitance and Warburg parameter increase with temperature, while solution resistance and leakage resistance decrease with temperature. The complex capacitance of the supercapacitors shows that both real and loss capacitances increase with temperature. The phase angle of supercapacitors is found to be around 85.2 ± 1° at room temperature and it decreases with temperature. Galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling exhibits almost constant specific capacitance of 28 F g−1 at room temperature. However, it increases sharply and then attains stable value of 52 F g−1 during cycling at 100 °C. The increase in specific capacitance has been attributed to increase in surface area of the carbon nanotube (CNT), due to activation by phosphoric acid and diffusion of free phosphoric acid into the central canal of MWCNT.